Cat People: A Comic Collection

by Hannah Hillam

“Simultaneously hilarious, thoughtful, and bizarre.” ―Nathan W. Pyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Strange Planet

The first collection from comic artist Hannah Hillam poses the  What if our cats were responsible for taking care of us for a change?

Following an unwitting human who finds herself in a world where humans' and cats' roles have reversed, Cat People examines the special and inscrutable relationship we have with our feline companions, revealing the delightful absurdities of both species along the way.

Only the keen eyes of cats could so sharply examine the most bizarre human behaviors we don't think twice about, including grooming, eating, sleeping, working, and competing with other humans for attention and territory. By flipping the script and casting humans in the role of pet, Hannah Hillam spins an unforgettable tail of the unique love and often baffling coexistence between cats and people.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Cats, Humor, Comics, Animals, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Melania 🍒 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25|5 ✨

[Jaz ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, funny, cute, and thoughtful. And I love the art - all the details in the backgrounds are so funny 😆

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me laugh out loud a lot. It was just so weird to see the human-cat ownership roles reversed. But then, on the serious side, made you realize how weird pet ownership is and if your feline friend truly is happy. Man, I didn’t expect it to hit me that hard!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

funnily disturbing.

[Kristīne Spure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got it as a gift from NYC from my lovely husband. A heartfelt and witty comic book with cool illustrations. A nice little book to flip through from time to time again.

[Bronwyn Ceridwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like the sort of book that folks would describe as “great for cat lovers”. In fact ... yep, there are at least two other reviews on Goodreads saying exactly that! Well, I would consider myself to be a cat lover – in that I own a cat and generally regard her with affection, despite her best efforts – and yet I’ve always found “cat humor” a bit tedious. As it turns out, there are no original observations left to make about a creature that was domesticated several millennia ago, and that the internet has been actively obsessed with for decades now!

I appreciate that the premise subverts the typical Cat Comic formula, though in practice it’s just a fresh coat of paint on the same old observations about human-feline relations. Before too long, I found myself blocking all of that out in favor of simply taking in the vibes. Hannah’s art has a nightmarish, hallucinogenic quality that reminds me of something I would’ve really enjoyed in my 20s, and the backgrounds are chock full of goofy little gags that made me chuckle more than any of the actual punchlines. If we could’ve spent the entire book just roaming the city and taking in cat-themed punny business names, I would’ve given this five stars for sure!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surreal really is the best adjective to describe this book. I love Hillam's strange (in the best way) comics, and was expecting a fun collection of comics. What I wasn't expecting was there to actually be a storyline. Don't be misled by the subtitle, this isn't just a collection of previously posted works, it's a full-fledged story! Loved it for all its modest length. Highly recommend!

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the subtitle 'a comic collection', I was surprised to find this is really more of a graphic novel. They aren't comic strips a la Sarah Anderson or Peanuts; there are characters and a plot. Within that are the aspects of what I picked the book up for: if cats owned humans, what would it be like? And reversing the roles definitely points out some of the ridiculous things we do as humans, both in general and specifically to our cats. But it really felt like an actual story; there was a setup as to how the protagonist came to be owned by a cat and everything.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very cute, and had that delightful splash of existential dread to add depth to what could have been just a gag. "Look at the humans doing cat things and the cats doing human things!"

I really enjoyed it. I only felt some of the transitions were opaque. I feel like that's one of the hardest things in comics writing... getting it so the audience knows everything they should about what's going on without slowing things down.

[Emma Brackett]

I think it's saying something if this ride or die dog person enjoyed "Cat People". I know Hillam is weird, I've been following her podcast since its inception, but this is especially weird. I wasn't expecting vomit portals and humans being rescued from hoarding situations. It's all topped off with an style that reads manic. I hope that comes off as a compliment.

[Lyndsay-ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely freaking hilarious!

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a cat lover, this was great

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so well done and hilarious. I love the concept of cats being the owners and humans being the pets. This book is wickedly smart and funny. I've loved the authors art for a long time and I think it'd awesome she made a book. 🐈💙

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and light read.
Very weird but also fun!
It makes me want to give my cats a hug and thank them for being in my life. Even though they may or may not enjoy the hug
Overall, really enjoyable

[Patricia Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is funny. I'm pretty sure my son would love it, too.

[Benjimanmanman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great art. Made me laugh out loud several times.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really silly but really fun. Ah, to be a kept human for a cat. I would love someone to take care of all my needs and not have to worry about a job or money. Please cats, adopt me.

[Lucy Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious comic collection about a woman who falls into a portal where cats are the ones who adopt humans, and hilarious parallels ensue. A great read for any cat lover.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Hannah Hillam’s art which you can find all over the internet. I didn’t really know the premise behind this book, just that it was Hannah and had “cat” in the title. But what a funny and weird (positive) book! Essentially Hannah is transported to another dimension/universe in which cats are the dominant species and human beings are their pets. So each little vignette is exploring how something would look if a person was doing it instead of a cat. For example Hannah walks across a game of Mousetrap, knocking over the pieces, much to the chagrin of the two cats who were playing. Much of Hannah’s art is mini vignettes that aren’t really connected, so it was interesting to see these all connected as parts of one story. And I think she knew exactly when to wrap it up so the joke didn’t go on for too long. A perfect quick and fun read lot start off my reading year. Definitely recommend if you enjoy Hannah’s art (if you have been on the Internet you have seen it) or if you like funny art about cats

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of mixed feelings on this one. It is very amusing in how it highlights the foibles of cats and peoples interactions with them by largely reversing the roles. There's also a lot of amusing details when you pay attention to the background, like in the shopping scene and the various things on the store shelves. But it is kind of a weird overall vibe. There's definitely a single story here, but there's a montage aspect to some parts, like it was originally just amusing one-off gag panels that got strung together and built up into something greater. And the weirdness is sometimes more disturbing than cute or amusing, like how the main human (never named) has no real backstory. And just when she apparently accepts her new existence (it actually doesn't seem so bad, in a way), suddenly she's back home, but there's no real resolution or explanation there. It just feels kind of sad and destabilizing.

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The praise in the back cover describes this graphic novel as hilarious, thoughtful, bizarre, somehow both adorable and twisted... and I 100% agree with all those adjectives.

The art wasn't really my favorite, but the whole concept here is really clever and though provoking, and highlights the absurd way in which some humans treat their pets.

And it goes beyond the sweaters or the complains for normal cat behavior (or human, in this reversed scenario), but it also comes to show that the animals you live with deserve respect as living things that share your space, which is something a lot of people, even good pet-owners, still need to learn.

Sarcastic and though-provoking, for sure.

[Emmy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A clever premise: what if the roles were reversed and humans were the pets while cats were the masters? Sounds great, right? Well, not exactly. What followed was a book that I found deeply unsettling and which made me feel like I should never adopt a cat off the street. The poor "human" character, who is now the pet, seems beyond stressed and traumatized. And seeing the plight of an animal from this perspective leaves the reader wondering if perhaps it's kinder to leave them to a life in the wild.

[Evelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A rather lame one joke book centered on the premise that humans are pets owned by cats. As a result of the Rome reversal humans have all of the characteristics ascribed to cats, and vice versa. Cats now need to cope with all the problems and advice given to cat owners when caring for their human pet.

As shown in the prelude and conclusion this is cat owner’s nightmare.

Although the opening segment provides a few laughs, the hilarity wears off rather fast. Therefore, the book rates 1.5 stars.

[K De · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Hilliam's "Cat People: A Comic Collection" is a delightful romp of "what if" cats were in charge. People are pets. Cats have them and must care and feed them responsibly. The art fits the fast paced adventures of a human who is transported into the cat world. Bold lines and colors are the style. The writing is crisp and fast pacing moves the reader. Will the human make it back to her own world?

This is gentle satire on the foibles of pet ownership. Worth a pleasant time to read this creation.

[Ericka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully weird, trippy, and absurd romp in which a cat parent falls through a portal and becomes the pet in a world run by giant cats. She's found in the trash, "adopted" and cared for, and is just as angry as a deranged, feral little stray might be if you took her home and tried to tame her. Hannah Hillam's imagination and art is awesome. If you dig her book, definitely check out her Instagram for more oddities!

[Steff Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cat People was a little weird at times, but it made me laugh, too. I think there was a lot of creative fun to it and the illustrations were amusing. It’s a decent read, for sure, and probably a great gift for cat lovers.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick and funny read.

This collection shows what would happen if suddenly our relationship with our pet cat was reversed, if we became the cat's pet, and how they might interpret our actions, wants, needs.

Short and thoughtful.

[Andrea (andreareadsalot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

DELIGHTFUL! I laughed so much that I was told I was enjoying the book “too much”.

Plot: A human finds herself in a world with giant cats and the humans are the pets. Very quippy and funny. Pokes fun at cat owners and how people interact with cats.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel, but it is not funny. The author explores what it would be like if we and our housecats changed places for a while. (It's actually kind of preachy!) It may be good for teaching kids how housecats may feel.

[Tayler K · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was not exactly what I expected lol. I mean I did see the portraits on the cover, but "a comic collection" made me think it was going to be a bunch of distinct self-contained strips, not one continuous narrative for the whole book.

It was awkward and funny and creative.